SB 


pr 


clithic  Concrete  Silos 
Folk  S; 


UC-NRLF 


AGRIC.  DEPT. 


«**lllV%/U  I    I 

LIBRARY, 
UNIVERSITY 


CALlFORNIAv 


Contents 


Frontispiece  I 

Officers  and  Directors  -       4 

Introduction  6 

Concrete—  Its  Value  7-8 
Short  Story  about  Concrete                                                    .    -       9-13 

History  of  the  Silo  14-16 

The  Value  of  the  Silo  17-19 

Table  —Dry  Matter  and  Digestible  Nutriments  in  Silage 

from  Different  Crops  20 

Table — Showing  Acreage  Required  to  fill  Silo  and 

Amounts  to  Feed  -     2 1 

Photograph     Showing  "Feeders"  22 

Concrete  in  Silo .  Construction  23-26 

Silo — Showing  Water  Tank  27 

Photograph— Showing  Filling  process  -       28 

Handling  Ensilage  to  the  Best  Advantage  29-3 1 

Photograph  32 

Our  System       -  33-35 

The  Polk  Silo  Door  36-37 

Capacity  of  Round  Silos  in  Tons  38 

Facts-^Not  Fancies  39 

Testimonials  -    40-47 

Remerrfher  -     .  48 

. 


Monolithic  Concrete  Silos 


The  Polk  System 

OF 

RE-ENFORCED  MONOLITHIC  CONCRETE 
CONSTRUCTION 


Pat.   Oct.  23,    1906 
Pat.    Dec.    29,    1908 


C.  F.  WIELAND 

CONSULTING   ENGINEER 
914  Mutual  Savings  Bank  Bld£. 

SAN   FRANCISCO,  CAL. 


POLK-GENUNG-POLK  CO. 


INCORPORATED 

FORT  BRANCH,  IND. 


OFFICERS: 


W.  C.  POLK, 
H.  0.  CHERRY, 
H.  T.  GENUNG, 
W.  A.  POLK, 


President 

Vice  President 

Secretary-Treasurer 

Assistant  Secretary-Treasurer 


DIRECTORS: 


W.  C.  POLK, 
H.  0.  CHERRY, 
H.  T.  GENUNG, 
R.  M.  STORMONT, 
W.  A.  POLK, 


Fort  Branch,  Ind. 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Fort  Branch,  Ind. 
Springfield,  111. 
Fort  Branch,  Ind. 


In  selecting  the  photographs  for  this  cata- 
logue, we  have  made  use  of  those  v/ews  that 
illustrate,  to  the  best  advantage,  those  points 
which  we  have  endeavored  to  cover,  and  we 
have  tried  to  arrange  them  with  some  pre- 
cision that  their  force  may  not  be  lost. 

The  cuts  of  complete  or  incomplete  jobs 
represent  the  work  of  our  machines.  The 
photographs  from  which  they  are  made  have 
never  been  re-touched,  hence  you  see  exact 
images  of  actual  conditions. 

We  wish  to  express  our.  kindest  thanks 
to  those  who  have  furnished  us  cuts  and  to 
others  for  the  interest  they  have  shown  in 
this  catalogue. 


272656 


Introduction 


THE  average  American  farmer  is  not  one-half  as  rich  as  he 
ought  to  be.  There  are  too  many  leaks  in  the  business.  The 
one  greatest  loss  to-day  is  in  the  handling  of  the  corn  crop  by  the 
stockman  and  dairyman.  The  progressive  man  who  is  feeding 
silage  is  getting  100  per  cent,  of  the  nutriment  out  of  his  corn, 
while  the  other  fellow  is  getting  only  about  60  to  65  per  cent, 
and  is  losing  the  remaining  40  per  cent. 

We  are  sending  this  catalogue  to  you  because  this  is  so.  We 
want  to  give  you  straight  facts  in  a  straightforward  manner.  We 
want  to  show  you  that  you  absolutely  cannot  afford  to  be  without 
a  good  silo.  The  unprecedented  rise  in  land  values  means  that  a 
corresponding  return  must  be  got  or  failure  and  bankruptcy  will 
follow.  The  scientific  management  of  the  big  progressive  stock- 
man means  that  his  competitors  will  have  to  stop  every  leak  or 
else  get  out  of  the  business.  The  economy  of  the  silo  means  that 
you  must  own  one. 

We  wish  to  show  you  that  the  best  silo  you  can  buy  is  the  only 
one  you  can  really  afford  to  buy,  that  you  are  losing  money 
when  you  build  a  silo  that  won't  last  you  forever.  We  want  you 
to  read  the  following  pages  of  facts,  undisputable  and  to  judge 
the  proposition  fairly.  Then  if  you  build  anything  but  an  im- 
perishable monolithic  concrete  silo  we  shall  be  surprised  at  you. 
But  you  won't  surprise  us  —you  can't  afford  to. 

We  have  never  had  a  single  failure  or  a  single  complaint.  Our 
efficiency  is  100  per  cent.  Every  silo  that  has  ever  been  erected 
by  the  Polk  system  has  given  absolute  satisfaction.  Yes,  there 
is  a  reason.  Our  machine  and  our  methods  don't  allow  any 
builder  to  go  wrong. 

We  hope  that  you  will  closely  examine  the  following  pages  so 
that  we  may  convince  you  that  our  assertions  are  true. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


Concrete — Its  Value 

THE  modern  farmer  would  no  more  think  of  trying"  to  get  along 
without  concrete  than  the  modern  manufacturer  would  think 
of  dispensing  with  electricity  or  steam.  Not  many  years  ago  con- 
crete was  an  unknown  quantity,  the  engineer  and  builder  didn't 
know  whether  to  use  it  or  not.  Today  no- man  builds  that  does  not 
consider  concrete,  and  no  wise  man  builds  that  does  not  use  it. 
Concrete  has  not  only  revolutionized  our  recent  ideas  of  building; 
it  has  exploded  them.  Concrete  is  supplanting  stone,  brick,  iron, 
and  wood.  The  farmer,  who  some  not  over-wise  people  say  is  always 


Silo  of  Mr.  C.  W.  Broughton,  McGirr,  III.,  diameter  16  feet,  height  45  feet. 
Built  by  Polk  System. 

backward  about  taking  up  new  ideas,  has  been  decidedly  in  the 
foreground  here,  and  it  is  building  "for  keeps"  in  concrete,  while 
his  less  knowing  city  cousin  "burns  wood." 

Why  has  concrete  come  to  the  front  so  rapidly?  There  are  many 
reasons,  but  one  is,  sufficient.  IT  IS  EVERLASTING.  It  has 
a  cumulative  strength  and  a  100  per  cent,  plus  efficiency.  The 


''They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces.  " 


8 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


modern  farmer  has  found  it  his  greatest  single  agency  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  farm  on  the  business  basis.  He  has  circumvented 
deteoriation-  he  has  no  up  keep  his  profits  go  into  the  bank: 
because,  simply  because  he  has  used  concrete  in  the  building. 
Concrete  is  vauable  on  the  farm  because  it  can  be  put  to  an  almost 
endless  number  of  uses.  From  the  basement  to  the  water-tank, 
from  the  barn  to  the  fence-post,  from  the  silo  to  the  cistern,  in 
the  corn-crib  and  the  trough,  on  the  floor  and  the  sidewalk,  we 
find  concrete.  No  one  WHO  KNOWS  builds  with  anything  but 
concrete,  it  means  sanitary  conditions,  puts  the  kibosh  on  the 
rats  and  mice,  turns  water  at  the  roof  and  in  the  basement,  laughs 

at  fire  and  makes  the  insurance 
man  drive  on  to  the  next  place 
in  hopes  of  finding  an  easy  vic- 
tim. Build  with  concrete  and 
don't  mind  the  weather  even  if 
the  wind  ''do  blow."  What  do 
you  care?  Build  with  concrete 
and  build  right  and  nothing 
but  a  double-geared,  back  ac- 
tion, hammerless,  six-cylinder, 
earthquake  could  ever  ruffle 
your  peace  of  mind. 

BUILD  RIGHT!  We 
know  how  to  do  that  today.  A 
few  years  ago  some  mistakes 
were  made  by  workers  in  con- 
crete, because  they  were  care- 
less about  proportions  and  mix- 
tures. These  mistakes  have 
been  given  wide  publicity  as 


Monolithic  silo,  nearly  completed  by  the  Polk-Ge- 
nung-Polk  system,  on  the  farm  of  John  Creighton, 
Geneva,  HI  W.  H.  Warford,  Contractor. 

suitable  material  for  this  kind  of 


proof  that  concrete  is  not  a 
construction,  and  consequently 
some  of  the  unwise  fear  the  concrete  is  tricky.  Today  the  fail- 
ures by  inexperienced  and  expert  are  not  one  in  a  hundred. 


' '  They  arm  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  9 

Short  Story  About 
Concrete 

T^GYPTIANS.  On  the  top  of  the  huge  pyramids  of  Egypt 
I—*  there  are  enormous  blocks  of  stone  of  such  size  that  modern 
engineers  wonder  how  they  ever  were  put  there.  They  are  well 
preserved  and  show  little  effect  of  the  4,000  years  weathering  they 
have  undergone.  Recent  investigation  on  the  subject  of  this  vast 
engineering  feat  seems  to  show  that  those  huge  stones  were  prob- 
ably carried  there  in  water  pails  or  some  similiar  contrivances. 
The  Egyptians  knew  how  to  make  a  hydraulic  cement,  and  pieces 
of  wood  found  within  these  big  blocks  together  with  the  conglom- 
erate structure  seem  to  show  that  they  made  use  of  their  secret 
in  the  erection  of  the  pyramids. 

GREEKS  and  ROMANS.  The  Greeks  also  knew  about 
cement.  Many  of  their  walls  and  slabs  of  stone  which  have  until 
recently  been  supposed  to  be  solid  rock,  have  proved  to  be  exam- 
ples of  an  enduring  concrete  construction.  The  Romans  built  the 
best  roads  that  man  has  ever  known.  They  dug  to  solid  rock, 
filled  in  with  crushed  rock,  bouldei's  and  pebbles,  and  then  coated 
the  top  with  a  hydraulic  cement.  Over  this  they  put  paving 
stones.  The  paving  stones  have  worn  away  and  crumbled  to  dust, 
but  the  concrete  mixture  remains  stronger  than  it  was  the  day  it 
was  put  there.  Fallen  columns,  pillars  and  arches  of  concrete  con- 
struction among  Roman  ruins  show  much  better  lasting  qualities 
than  the  hardest  marble  that  was  used  for  mural  decoration. 

In  this  connection  the  Architecture  Record  issue  of  February, 
1909  says: 

"The  Romans  mixed  their' concrete  exactly  as  we  mix  ours-  in 
a  general  batch  that  is,  stones,  cement  and  lime  were  mixed  to- 
gether and  thrown  into  a  wooden  form,  precisely  as  we  do  it  to- 
day. The  marks  of  the  wooden  forms  are  at  all  times  discernible, 
and  especially  is  this  so  in  the  corridor  of  the  house  of  Augustus 
on  the  Palatine  (P.  10)  where  the  grain  of  the  wood  can  be  clear- 
ly seen.  These  walls  are  some  twenty-four  feet  above  the  ground 

'  'They  are  not  built  of  piece* ,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


10 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


level,    and    though    the    construction     of    the  forms      seems  to 

have  been  carlessly  done,  as  the  photograph  shows,  yet  the  result 

is  none  the  less  interesting.     Here  is  a  splendid  opportunity  to  see 

concrete   and  leisurely   inspect  it  from  every  point  of    vantage. 

Above  these    concrete    foundations  rose  the   palace  of  Augustus, 

formed     of 

these  stupend- 

ous walls  and 

vaults     of 

brick,  which 

here,   as  else- 

where       i  n 

Rome,    thrust 

its    arches 

through    the 

air  with  such 

poise  and  pre- 

cisi  on  that 

they    are    t  o 

this    day    the 

admiration  of 

every  behold- 

er and  gave  to 

the    Romans 

their    proud 


p  o  s  i  t  i  on 


HOUSE  OF  AUGUSTUS 
Notice  impression  of  the  wood  forms  as  well  as  actual  grain  of  the  wood. 


among  the  master  builders  of  the  world. 

The  structure  of  brick  above  these  concrete  walls  have  suc- 
cumbed to  the  ravages  of  time  and  to  the  hand  of  the  destroyer, 
but  the  concrete  remains  without  a  crack  or  a  fracture  that  could 
be  discovered  by  careful  and  frequent  examination.  Its  adhesion 
is  perfect,  and  that  there  has  not  been  the  slightest  disintegration 
of  even  the  outside  surface  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  the  grain 
of  the  wood  from  the  old  forms  may  still  be  seen  on  the  concrete, 
though  its  imprint  was  made  over  two  thousand  years  ago.  The 
silent  and  sturdy  witnesses  in  the  Roman  Forum  and  the  Appian 
Way  give  convincing  testimony  as  to  the  efficiency  and  durability 
of  concrete.  Looking  back  through  the  centuries  in  which  the 


''They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


I  I 


character  has  been  so  notably  maintained,  we  must  see  that  there 
is  a  material  on  whose  merits  we  can  form  a  definite  and  certain 
judgment,  and  the  judgment  thus  formed  impels  us  irresistibly  to 
the  conclusion  that  we  have  no  building  construction  which,  viewed 
from  any  standpoint,  measures  up  to  the  incomparable  standard 
established  by  concrete." 

Other  evidences  of  the  constructive  uses  of  cement  are  found  in 
various  parts  of  the  old  world.  In  Ireland  are  old  lookout  towers, 
supposed  to  have  been  built  by  the  Druid  priests  more  than  one 
thousand  years  ago.  They  are  made  of  hydraulic  cement  concrete, 

and  are  cylindrical  in  form, 
about  six  feet  in  diameter, 
and  100  feet  high.  Some 
years  ago  one  of  these  tow- 
ers was  undermined  and  fell 
over.  The  shock  was  so 
great  that  the  shaft  was  bur- 
ied one-half  in  the  ground 
for  its  entire  length,  yet 
there  was  not  the  slightest 
fracture  in  the  monolithic 
structure.  Any  natural 
rock  would  have  been  shat- 
tered to  bits.  In  Spain  and 
other  countries  with  a  flour- 
ishing early  history  all  signs 
point  to  an  early  and  exten- 
sive use  of  a  rude  sort  of  ce- 
ment and  concrete.  The 
pre-historic  people  of  the 
New  World  also  knew  some- 
thing of  the  value  of  an  artificial  stone.  The  Mound  Builders  who 
inhabited  the  Ohio  Valley  some  12,000  years  ago  cooked  and  boiled 
in  vessels  that  appear  to  have  been  made  of  a  rock  conglomerate 
held  together  by  a  cement.  The  Peruvian  Incas  built  themselves 
houses  of  a  crude  concrete  to  prevent  loss  from  earthquakes  and 
volcanic  tremors. 

So  the  Ancients  worked  in  concrete.     Of  course  they   had  noth- 


Ed  John's  Concrete  Silo,  16x40  feet,  La  Fox,  III. 
by  Polk  System.     W.  H.  Warford  Contractor. 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces*  and  they 
cannot  go  to   pieces. 


12 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


ing  to  compare  with  the  highly  developed  Portland  cement  of  to- 
day, yet  they  did  imperishable  work.  Strange  to  say,  the  people 
of  the  medieval  times  lost  the  secret  and  all  the  fine  architectural- 
work  of  the  "dark  ages"  is  fast  crumbling  into  oblivion.  Not  un- 
til the  opening  of  the 
nineteenth  century  did 
man  again  become  in- 
terested in  means  of 
making  artificial  stone. 
The  modern  searcher 
after  the  secret,  how- 
ever, turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  produc- 
tion of  a  fine  powder 
that  would  do  the  ce- 
menting when  mixed 
with  rock  and  water. 
He  wanted  a  much 
smoother  and  neater 
result  than  the  ancient 
builder.  In  England, 
Germany,  and  France, 
chemists  and  engineers 
worked  on  the  produc- 
tion of  a  dependable 
cement  from  1790  un: 

til  1850  before  they  made  one  that  fulfilled  the  requirements.  In 
1865  the  first  Portland  cement  was  brought  to  the  United  States, 
and  in  1872  the  first  home-made  product  was  put  on  the  market. 
In  1880  the  output  of  all  factories  in  our  country  was  only  82,000 
barrels.  In  1896  it  had  passed  the  million  mark,  and  in  1909  it 
was  sixty  millions.  That's  the  way  America  does  things.  Today 
there  is  practically  no  foreign  cement  for  sale  on  our  markets. 

Today  we  stand  on  the  threshold  of  the  concrete  age.  The 
possibilities  of  a  concrete  construction  are  numberless — from  the 
sewer  to  the  tip-top  of  the  •  sky-scraper — re-enforced  concrete  is 
displacing  all  other  forms  of  masonry  and  building  materfal.  En- 
gineers are  doing  with  concrete,  things  that  we  did  not -dream 


Twin  Concrete  Silos  on  farm  of  Frank  White,  La  Fox,  111.,  each 

18x45  feet.     Built  by  Polk  System.      W.   H.   Warford, 

Geneva,  111.,  Contractor. 


''They    are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cnnnot   go   to     pieces. 


THE       POLK       SYSTEM 


13 


about    ten  years    ago.     They  go  straight  to  dizzy  heights  with 
seemingly  little  attention  to  the  laws  of  equilibrium;  they  bridge 

spans  with  no  at- 
t  e  n  t  i  o  n  to  the 
laws  of  gravity. 
Concrete  means 
just  as  much  to 
the  farmerpf;as 
the  same  -rapid 
stride  s  that 
characterize  the 
engineering  field 
are  being  made 
—  proportionate- 
ly of  course,  on 
the  farm.  Prin- 
ciples of  conser- 
vation and  per- 
manence are  be- 
ing adopted  in 
the  agricultural 
field  just  as  as- 
suredly as  they 
are  in  the  engi- 
neering fi  e  1  d  . 

i..  i6xio  feet,  capacity  Concrete  is  more 

Built  by  Polk  System  |>flB  J  flr^n  permanent; 

-m>  Strength  -is 
cumulative?*  A^oncrete  silo  will  be  stronger5  ten  J^ars  hence  tKan 
it  is  now  and  "s'tiW  stronger  when  your  great-great-grandchildren 
are  ready  to  use  it.  Concrete  annihilates  two  words  —  " 

and  ".vpmrs." 


S. 


C.   M.  Saxby's  Concrete  Silo,   Freeport,   111. 
180  tc 


"They  are  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces.  ' ' 


14  THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


History  of  the  Silo 

ALONG  time  ago,  even  before  man  had  become  accustomed 
to  settled  agricultural  life,  the  primitive  farmers  were 
guessing  at  the  secret  of  the  silo.  A  "pit"  was  first  used  as  a 
receptacle  for  dry  grain.  The  Greeks  called  such  a  pit  "siros" 
and  the  Spanish  have  a  word  "ensilar"  meaning — to  store  grain  m 
a  pit.  From  these  two  words  comes  our  term  "ensilage."  The 
Roman  farmers  stored  green  forage  in  air-tight  pits  and  fed  the 
"silage"  to  their  stock.  That  was  two-thousand  years  ago. 

In  1786  we  have  our  first  authentic  record  of  the  actual  prep- 
aration of  stock  food  by  the  "silage"  method  when  Symonds  wrote 
of  Italians  preserving  fresh  leaves  for  cattle  in  casks  and  pits  in 
the  ground.  In  1843  an  Englishman  named  Johnston  who  had 
been  observing  Germans  store  green  clover,  grass,  or  vetches  in 
pits,  published  an  article  giving  his  views  on  such  a  method  for 
treating  food.  These  pits  the  Germans  used  were  ten  or  twelve 
feet  square  and  about  as  many  feet  deep.  The  floor  was  of 
packed  clay  and  the  sides  were  lined  with  wood.  The  green  food 
was  well  salted  as  it  was  thrown  into  the  pit  and  the  top  was 
given  an  extra  thick  layer  of  salt  and  then  a  close-fitting  cover  of 
boards  was  put  over  it.  Then  enough  dirt  to  make  the  pit  air- 
tight was  thrown  over  the  top  of  the  boards  and  the  "silage"  was 
allowed  to  ferment  and  settle  for  a  few  days.  Then  more  green 
stuff  was  added  to  fill  the  crude  silo,  and  the  board  and  dirt  cover 
was  again  added.  The  grass  thus  treated  had  the  appearance  of 
being  boiled,  was  sharply  acid,  and  was  much  enjoyed  by  the  cat- 
tle. Between  1860  and  1870  Samuel  Jones  in  England  experi- 
mented extensively  with  tares  or  rye.  He  cut  it  green,  chopped 
it  up,  and  then  allowed  it  to  ferment  in  air-tight  vats. 

To  Adolph  Reihlen,  a  sugar  manufacturer  of  Germany,  belongs 
the  credit  for  first  storing  green  maize  in  pits.  He  had  lived  a 
number  of  years  in  the  United  States  and  had  taken  back  to  the 
old  country  with  him  some  large  dent  corn.  Since  the  crop  did 
not  always  mature  in  that  climate  he  conceived  the  idea  of  treat- 

"They  are  not  built  of  pieces,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


15 


ing-  it  the  same  way  that  he  had  successfully   treated   green  beet 
leaves  and  beet  pulp.     The  results  of  his  works  were  published  in 

the  German  and 
French  papers  at 
the  time  and  the  use 
of  thesilo  was 
strongly  urged  upon 
the  people  of 
France.  The  French 
farmers  wisely 
heeded  the  good  ad- 
vice and  built  them- 
selves many  pits  in 
the  earth  for  the 
storing  of  green 
forage.  In  1877 
Auguste  Goffart,  a 
French  farmer, 
wrote  a  book  giv- 
ing the  results  of 
twenty-five  years 
experience  with  the 
method  of  preserv- 
ing green  forage  in 
air-tight  pits.  He 
told  little  that  was 
new,  but  what  he 
told  was  so  well  put 
and  so  well  ar- 
ranged that  he  now  bears  the  distinction  of  being  the  Father  of 
Modern  Silage. 

Now,  when  America  is  not  first  at  anything  she  is  always  a  very 
close  second,  and  in  1876  a  progressive  Maryland  farmer  named 
Morris  built  a  structure  to  contain  silage.  Shortly  after  the  intro- 
duction of  the  silo  in  America  enthusiasts  made  many  extravagant 
claims  for  its  usefulness  and  effectiveness  which  early  experiments 
failed  to  vindicate.  These  early  experiments  were  crude  and  ex- 
travagant, and  the  silo  did  not  become  popular  at  that  time.  In 


Silo  of  George  Dick,  Sycamore,  III.,     Size:  Diameter  16 
feet,  Height  40  feet.     Polk  Syitem 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  " 


16 


THE      POLK     SYSTEM 


fact  in  1882  only  92  American  farmers  used  the  silo.  Later  and 
more  careful  investigations  by  agricultural  schools  and  scientific 
farmers  revealed  the  true  worth  of  the  silo  until  it  is  to-day  an  un- 
disputed fact  that  no  man  who  raises  stock  for  any  purpose  what- 
ever can  afford  to  be  without  one.  There  are  over  500,000  silos  in 
the  United  States  at  the  present  time. 


16  x  50  feet  monolithic  silo  of  State  Hospital  Farm  No.   1,   Fulton, 

Missouri,  showing  cutter  in  position  for  filling. 

Built  by  Polk  System. 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK       SYSTEM 


17 


The  Value  of  the  Silo 

SILO   MEANS   SAVE 

HPHE  silo  offers  a  quicker  and  larger  return  on  the  investment 
1  than  does  any  other  improvement  that  is  being  considered 
by  the  dairy  farmers  and  stockmen  of  America  today.  We  assert 
this  without  fear  of  contradiction  because  we  have  the  judgment 
and  experience  of  the  progressive,  brainy  American  farmer  to  up- 
hold us.  We  have  boiled  down  a  great  mass  of  facts  here  for  your 

convenience  and  enlighten- 
ment. Our  authority  for 
the  following  statement 
consists  of  the  experiments 
of  Agricultural  Schools  and 
Stations  and  of  the  personal 
experiences  of  advancing, 
broad-minded  farmers.  We 
have  no  desire  to  burden 
your  mind  with  rows  of  facts 
and  figures  that  confuse  you 
and  make  your  head  swim. 
We  want  to  give  you  in 
tabloid  form  some  informa- 
tion about  the  value  of  the 
silo.  Here  it  is: 


Lewis  McNutt's  monolithic  silo,  Brazil,  inu., 
showing  cutter  and  blower  in  position  ready 
for  filling. 


Notice    That  Every  Fact  Cited 
Means  a  Saving. 


1.  THE  SILO  REDUCES  THE  COST  OF  PRODUCTION,  (a).  The  cost 
of  feed  is  reduced  one-half.  Chemists  who  have  examined  fodder 
as  it  goes  in  the  shock  and  as  it  is  when  ready  to  be  fed  later  in 
the  winter  find  that  often  only  half  of  the  original  nutriment  re- 
mains. The  weather  and  the  air  have  made  way  with  one-half  of 
your  feed.  The  Silo  does  not  retain  all  of  the  food  value,  but  the 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot   go   to  ot'eces. 


18 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


loss  is  never  greater  than  ten  per  cent,  (b)  An  acre  of  corn 
can  be  placed  in  the  silo  at  much  less  cost  than  it  can  be  put  up  as 
cured  fodder.  An  experiment  made  in  1903,  in  filling  a  100-ton 
silo,  shows  the  cost  of  filling-  to  be  only  i  >  >  50  cents  per  ton. 

(c)  There  is  abso- 
lutely no  waste  to 
any  part  of  the  corn 
crop,  provided  you 
exercise  a  fair  de- 
gree of  care  in  han- 
dling it.  (d).  Care- 
ful and  fair  experi- 
ments show  that  you 
can  feed  your  stock 
on  one-half  of  the 
acreage  other- 
wise needed. 

II.  THE  SILO  IN- 
C  REA  SES  THE 
AMOUNT  OF  PRO- 
DUCTION, (a)  Dai- 
ry cattle  give  more 
milk  and  cream 
when  fed  on  silage 
than  when  fed  on 
dry  fodder  and  ear 
corn,  (b)  The  in- 
crease in  butter  fat 
is  enough  to  reduce 
the  cost  of  produc- 
tion 9c  per  pound, 

from22c  to  13c.  (c)  Steers  fattened  on  silage  show  a  saving  of  50c 
for  every  100  pounds,  and  bring  an  average  of  20c  per  150  better  on 
the  market;  a  total  saving  of  70c  on  every  100  pounds. 

III.  MISCELLANEOUS  ADVANTAGES.  (a)  Ensilage  fed  cattle 
have  a  good  appetite — are  healthy,  (b)  Your  stock  does  not  have 
to  be  reduced  during  a  dry  season,  (c)  There  is  no  exposure  to 
bad  weather  in  feeding  ensilage,  (d)  There  is  great  economy  of 


Twin  Silos,  16x40  feet,  in  process  of  construction  by  Polk 
System.  Built  for  W.  T.  Robinson,  Harrodsburg,  Ken- 
tucky. Scaffolding  and  superstructure  is  unnecessary  in 
this  System. 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces.  ' ' 


THE      POLK       SYSTEM 


19 


storage  room.  Ten  tons  of  silage  occupies  the  same  space  that  one 
ton  of  hay  does.  (e).  The  food  supply  is  constant.  With  the  right 
kind  of  a  silo  there  is  no  fear  of  fire,  flood,  drouth,  lightning  nor 
wind. 

A  careful  reading  and  a  brief  review  of  the  foregoing  will  con- 
vince you  that  the  most  extravagant  farmer  in  the  business  to-day 
ir,  the  one  who  is  trying  to  get  along  without  a  silo.  Ask  yourself 
if,  in  the  coming  days  of  closer  competition,  you  can  stand  up 

against  your  progressive 
neighbor  who  is  producing 
the  same  goods  that  you 
produce  at  one-half  of  your 
cost  of  production.  Be  one 
of  those  progressive  neigh- 
bors yourself  and  let  the 
other  fellows  wonder  where 
you  get  the  money  to  keep 
your  farm  so  well  stocked 
and  equipped,  and  your 
buildings  in  such  good  shape. 
Let  him  wonder  how  you 
can  afford  to  pay  cash  for 
your  fine  touring  car.  As 
any  business  grows  and  iu- 
tensifies,  as  competition 
becomes  fiercer,  there  is  al- 
ways a  struggle  for  a  de- 
decreased  cost  of  production 
and  the  man  who  solves  the 
problem  first  is  the  man  who  makes  the  money.  The  silo  solves  the 
problem  for  the  man  who  feeds  stock. 


C.  A.  Baber's  Monolithic  Silo,  LaFox,  Illinois.  Diam- 
eter 18  feet,  height  45  feet.  Polk  System.  W.  H. 
Warford,  Geneva,  Illinois,  Contractor. 


"They    ore  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cnnnot  go  to    piece*." 


20  t 


THE     POLK     SYSTEM 


ea 


1 

"x  <u 

<u  o 

^-      ^ 

NoOfMOTCDO^KD^fs, 

u 

.cCX 

W     ' 

fli 

N 

V 

IN 

c 

(D 

L»"' 

j£ 

« 

5 

1 

|1 

SS^SSSodSS 

£ 

CD 
.0 

1       V- 

O    O) 

0 

'J5 

(ti 

1* 

So 

0 

HH 

Q 

0) 

"DO  v      , 

i 

J2  i 

C   c 

•»*    •  '    '  .  :  ; 

(ft 

1! 

ooi       '    io-   T*    »•*    oi    *-«    J-H 

•w 

^£ 

(A       .<B 

0     "5 
C     •- 

I 

*C    < 

^    (P 

O5OCT)tOON>OOOO 

+*            «4-- 

>>  o 

OOOKDIOOJOUD'—  <^ 

3     ^ 

u   . 

CNCNOJCNrOCMCNCNCN 

z  1 

0    oj 

§ 

^           D. 

I 

—  < 

In     Q 

0) 

TOD    co 

•IN 

Q  D 

T3         KO 

I 

0) 

to) 

S 

r* 

nJ 

ttf     ^ 

« 

5 

^      c 

^2 

^ 

0)       ID 

— 

tn 

"^     "5 
«3      DQ 

t/3 

a 

C       C 

5*     w 

a 

"CD      "^ 

^     v 

o 

^           S      >> 

>     I 

0 

.S           £     oo 

Q    fc 

E 

>      P                     >      S     ^     -o 

11*    -  s  s  s  § 

73^:^      co      a-0      ^ 

g 

^^i-c^f^g^l^^ 

£ 

OCC;CO<OOCOCQO 

"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to   pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


21 


USEFUL  TABLE  2 

Showing  Acreage  Required  to  Fill  Silos 
and  Amounts  to  Feed 


! 

Inside                  Height 
Diameter                 pe|t 
Feet 

Acres  to  Fill 
12  Tons  per 
Acre  Average 

Amount  that 
should  be 
Fed  Daily 

Head 
Dairy  Cattle 
Will  Feed 
180  Days 
40  Ibs.  per  day 

Head 
Beef  Cattle 
Will  Feed 
180  Days 
25  Ibs.  per  day 

10 

28 

3.56 

525 

12 

19 

10 

30 

3.92 

525 

13 

21 

10 

32 

4.25 

525 

14 

23 

10 

34 

4.66 

525 

15 

25 

10 

38 

5.42 

525 

18 

29 

10 

40 

5.83 

525 

19 

31 

12 

28 

5.08 

755 

17 

27 

12 

30 

5.58 

755 

19 

29 

12 

32 

6.17 

755 

21 

33 

12 

34 

6.66 

755 

22 

35 

12 

36 

7.25 

755 

24 

38 

.     12 

38                7.83 

755 

26 

41 

12 

40 

8.41 

755 

28 

44 

14                   28 

6.91 

1030 

23 

37 

14 

30 

7.58 

1030 

25 

40 

14 

32 

8.25 

1030 

28 

44 

14 

34 

9.08 

1030 

30 

48 

14 

36 

9.83 

1030 

33 

52 

14 

38 

10.66 

1030 

36 

56 

14 

40 

11.5 

1030 

38 

61 

16 

28 

9. 

1340 

30 

48 

16 

30 

9.91 

1340 

33 

52 

16 

32 

10.91 

1340 

36 

58 

16 

34 

11.91 

1340 

40 

63 

16 

36 

12.91 

1340 

43 

68 

16 

38 

13.91 

1340 

46 

73 

16 

40 

15. 

1340 

50 

79 

18 

30 

11.58 

1700 

42 

66 

18 

34 

15.08 

1700 

50 

80 

18 

38 

17.66 

1700 

59 

93 

18 

40 

19.08 

1700 

64 

101 

18 

42 

20.5 

1700 

68 

108 

18 

46 

23.5 

1700 

78 

125 

20 

30 

15.58 

2100 

52 

82 

20 

34 

18.66 

2100 

62 

98 

20 

40 

23.41 

2100 

78 

124 

20 

44 

26.66 

2100 

89 

140 

20 

48 

30.08 

2100 

100 

159 

20 

50 

31.83 

2100 

106 

169 

"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces.  ' ' 


Flashlight  photo  of  1 12  head  of  "feeders.  ' '     Low  overhead  loft  prevented  good  picture. 

"Da  they  l-.ke  ensilage?' ' 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  23 


Concrete  in  Silo  Construction 

THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  A  GOOD  SILO 

HPHE  man  who  has  owned  the  wrong  kind  of  a  silo  generally  knows 
1  more  about  the  requirements  of  a  good  one  than  anybody 
else  does.  Our  broad  experience  in  the  silo  business,  our  acquaint- 
ance with  hundreds  of  users  of  silos,  and  our  careful  research  in 
the  results  of  experiments  in  the  best  agricultural  schools  in  the 
land  have  put  us  in  a  position  to  know  what  the  qualities  of  a  good 
silo  are.  The  Silo  makes  six  cardinal  demands  before  it  allows  the 
adjective  "GOOD"  to  be  coupled  with  it. 

I.  THE  GOOD  SILO  MUST  BE  DURABLE  AND  PERMANENT.     A 
temporary  silo  has  only  one  thingto  recommend  it — it  demonstrates 
the  value  of  feeding  silage.  Otherwise  it  is  a  poor  investment.  Rap- 
id depreciation  of  value  is  one  thing  the  seller  of  any  kind  of  a 
non-permanent  silo  says  nothing  about.     Since  there  are  silos 
that  last  forever,  no  silo  is  good  that  does  not. 

II.  THE  GOOD  SILO  MUST  BE  FREE  FROM  THE  NEED  OF  REP  AIRS. 
This  is  merely  corollary  to  the   first  requirement.     Anything  that 
is  truly  permanent  never  needs  repairs.     Any  farmer  knows  how 
much  bigger  his  bank  balance  would  be  if  he  never  had  to  spend 
anything  for  "repairs"  on  his  house,  his  barn,  his  thresher,  his 
binder,  his  mower,  and  his  other  implements.     Just  think  of  own- 
ing one  thing  on  the  farm  that  never  calls  for  repairs! 

III.  THE  GOOD  SILO  MUST  BE  FIREPROOF.     Insurance  with  ex- 
tra high  rates  is  the  bug-a-boo  of  the  American  farmer.     The  farm 
building  that  gets  on  fire  generally  burns  down.     Of  course  the 
insurance  companies  have  to   protect  themselves  by  making  their 
rates  higher.     A  silo  that  contains  six  months  or  more  valuable 
food  supply  that  is  absolutely  safe  from  the  fire  demon  certainly 
deserves  the  honor  of  being  called  good. 

IV.  THE  GOOD  SILO  MUST  BE  AIR-TIGHT  AND  WATER-TIGHT.    Si- 
los that  allow  air  or  water  freely  to  pass  through  them  are  value- 

"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces.  ' ' 


24 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


less.  If  the  air  gets  in,  the  silage  molds  and  the  cattle  refuse  to 
eat  it.  There  is  enough  air  for  fermentation  left  in  when  the  silo 
is  filled.  Any  silo  whose  material  expands  or  shrinks  with  heat  or 
cold,  wet  or  dry  weather  can  not  keep  from  developing  air  and 
water  leaks.  Silage  that  be- 
comes dry  quickly  spoils. 

V.  THE  GOOD   SILO  MUST 
BE  SMOOTH  ON  THE  INSIDE.    Si- 
lage must  be  packed    tight  in 
order  to  exclude  air.     Rough 
sides,  edges,  corners  and  other 
obstructions   to    the  free  set- 
tling of  silage  cause  imperfect 
packing  and  ruin  your  valuable 

food. 

VI.  THE  SILO  MUST  BE  VER- 
MIN  PROOF.     If  the   rats  can 
get  into  your  silo  they  will   do 

^so.  Build  out  of  something 
that  the  rats  can  not  gnaw 
through.  The  rat  is  the  fore- 
runner of  too  much  air  and 
consequently  damaged  ensilage. 
CONCRETE  THE  PERFECT 
MATERIAL  FOR  THE  SILO 

Recall  the  foregoing  require- 
ments of  a  good  silo.  Read 
this  sentence  with  them  in  mind.  The  monolithic  concrete 
silo  is  durable,  never  needs  repair,  is  absolutely  fireproof,  is 
air-tight  and  water-tight,  is  smooth  on  the  inside  and  defies  the 
ravages  of  all  vermin.  The  concrete  silo  will  never  warp,  rot, 
crack,  burn,  leak,  blow  over,  nor  waste  away.  It  will  never  al- 
low your  silage  to  spoil  by  freezing,  WILL  NEVER  COST  YOU  ONE 
CENT  FOR  REPAIRS,  and  will  make  you  quit  worrying  about  fire. 
Not  a  single  good  argument  has  ever  been  brought  against  a  prop- 
erly built  concrete  silo.  No  man  who  has  owned  one  has  ever  con- 
sidered the  erection  of  any  other  kind  afterward. 

There  is  one  false  objection  that  is  sometimes  raised:     It  is  said 


Twin  Silos,  diameter  16  feet,  height  60  feet,  near- 
ing  completion.  Built  by  Polk  System  on  Peter 
Emge  farm,  Fort  Branch,  Indiana. 


"They  are  not  built  of  piece*,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  ' ' 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


25 


that  the  cost  is  too  great.  We  wish  to  meet  this  objection  square- 
ly in  the  face  by  saying  that  the  monolithic  concrete  silo  is 
the  cheapest  silo  that  can  be  built.  In  the  first  place  there  is  only 
one  cost  to  the  monolithic  concrete  silo,  and  that  is — the  first 
one.  When  you  have  paid  that,  there  is  nothing  more  to  go  out 

for  repairs  or  a  new 

silo.  A  nonpermanent 
silo  is  a  constant  foe 
to  a  bank  balance;  you 
are  never  through 
paying  for  it  until  it 
has  burned  up,  fallen 
down,  or  been  thrown 
away.  Any  article 
costs  as  much  as  you 
spend  for  it  and  on  it 
plus  100  per  cent, 
when  you  have  to  re- 
place it.  The  mono- 
lithic concrete  silo 
never  costs  but  once, 
and  there  is  absolutely 
no  depreciation  in  val- 
ue. For  it,  total  cost 
and  first  cost  are  one 
and  the  same  thing.  If 
you  build  a  permanent 
silo  the  satisfaction  of 
having  been  wise  and 
far-sighted  will  re- 
main long  after  you 
have  forgotten  the 
price  you  paid. 

We  do  not  advise  the  building  of  a  roof  because,  with  our  con- 
crete silo  the  roof  is  not  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  ensilage, 
except  in  extremely  cold  climates.  Moreover  the  elements  have 
no  damaging  effect  on  the  interior  of  our  silo — a  claim  which 
other  types  of  construction  can  not  make.  We  have  seen  less 


18  x  45  feet  Silo  under  construction.     P.  A.  Quanstrong,  Genoa, 
Illinois,  Contractor.     Polk  System. 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  ' ' 


26 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


damaged  ensilage  in  silos  without  roofs  than  we  have  where  roofs 
have  been  used.  Especially  where  the  corn  has  been  put  up  a 
little  dry  the  rains  will  keep  it  moistened  so  that  there  will  be  no 
danger  of  it  drying  and  spoiling. 

However  we  are  well  equipped  for  building  concrete  roofs  and 
have  an  excellent  proposition  for  the  man  who  wishes  a  good 
everlasting  water  tank  on  his  silo. 


"They  are  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  so  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


27 


Floor  Line  of  Tank 


Two  monolithic  concrete  silos,  built  by  the  PoIk-Genung-PolU  Company, 
right  hand  silo  has  a  water  supply    tank   4  feet  in  depth  on  top. 
The  silos  are  16  feet  in  diameter  by  45  feet  in  height. 


The 


The  above  illustration  shows  twin  silos  built  by  the  Polk  System. 
These  structures  are  16  by  45  feet,  the  upper  four  feet  of  the  one 
on  the  right  being  given  to  a  concrete  water  tank.  This  shows  one 
of  the  excellent  possibilities  of  our  machine.  Here  is  the  stand  for 
a  tank  of  sufficient  height  to  give  good  pressure — a  stand  that 
would  otherwise  be  a  great  cost — given  to  you  absolutely  free  of 
cost  when  you  pay  for  your  silo.  WE  HONESTLY  CONSIDER  THIS 

THE  BEST   OFFER   WE   ARE   MAKING   TO   THE  AMERICAN   FARMER  TO- 
DAY. 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  29 

Handling  Ensilage  to  the 
Best  Advantage 

NO  matter  how  excellent  a  silo  one  may  have,  it  is  necessary  to 
use  good  judgment  and  great  care  in  the  handling  of  ensilage 
before  one  secures  the  best  results. 

SIZE  OF  SILO.  Strange  to  say,  the  first  thing  to  consider  in  the 
handling  of  ensilage  is  the  size  of  the  silo.  Two  things  will  deter- 
mine the  diameter  of  your  silo— the  number  of  cattle  you  have  and 
how  many  pounds  per  day  you  intend  to  give  to  each  animal.  The 
statement,  that  the  diameter  of  a  silo  should  be  one-half  of  its 
height,  has  no  basis  in  reason,  but  is  made  only  by  people  that  can 
not  conveniently  build  them  very  high.  The  weight  of  a  concrete 
silo  makes  it  possible  to  disregard  wind  pressure  so  that  height  is 
not  a  drawback  on  this  account.  The  tall  silo  is  really  much  more 
economical  of  space.  By  reference  to  table  No.  2,  page  21,  you 
can  determine  the  size  you  will  want.  For  instance,  a  10  by  28 
silo  will  feed  12  head  of  dairy  cattle  40  pounds  per  day  each  for 
180  days,  or  19  head  of  beef  cattle  25  pounds  per  day  each  for  the 
same  length  of  time.  It  will  have  a  capacity  of  43  tons,  and  will 
require  3^  acres  of  corn  to  fill.  You  will  notice  that  the  amount 
to  be  fed  daily  varies  directly  with  the  diameter.  This  is  because 
silage  must  be  fed  in  even  layers  of  a  thickness  of  about  2  inches 
deep  each  da^  during  the  winter  season  and  slightly  more  in  the 
summer  time  on  account  of  increased  fermentation.  We  have  pre- 
pared this  table  at  much  expense  and  the  greatest  care,  and  we 
want  it  to  be  of  value  to  you. 

TIME  TO  PUT  UP  SILAGE.  Corn  should  be  put  up  when  it  is  at 
its  prime — when  the  ears  are  beginning  to  glaze  and  the  indenta- 
tions are  becoming  well  marked,  and  just  after  the  husks  are  be- 
ginning to  die.  This  takes  place  a  short  time  after  the  roasting 
ear  stage.  Corn  should  be  put  into  silage  when  the  amount  of  nu- 


"They  are  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  go  to  orece*.  " 


30 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


trition  in  it  is  at  its  highest — bafore  that  40  per  cent,  of  food  mat- 
ter that  is  not  in  dry  fodder  has  escaped.  Frequently  in  catting 
up  corn  for  fodder  the  farmer  runs  across  patches  that  are  too 
green.  If,  when  the  corn  is  shacked  out,  the  grains  are  loose  on 
the  cob,  the  corn  is  too  green  for  silage.  It  is  better  to  put  up  si- 
lage too  dry  than  too  green,  for  green  silage  is  always  too  sour, 
while  a  small  stream  of  water  thrown 
on  corn  a  trifle  dry  will  make  good 
ensilage. 

PLACING  SILAGE  IN  THE  SILO.  Put- 
ting the  corn  in  the  silo  is  perhaps 
the  most  important  single  step  in 
making  good  ensilage.  In  fact  most 
users  of  silos  personally  supervise 
this  work  or  have  perfectly  trust- 
worthy men  to  do  it  for  them.  -  Slip- 
shod work  here  means  spoiled  silage. 
The  chopped  fodder  must  be  well 
packed  in  even  layers  of  about  two 
inches  thickness.  There  must  be  no 
large  bunches  or  '  'knots"  of  it  any- 
where, for  these  check  regular  set- 
tling, form  cavities  for  air  spaces, 
and  consequently  endanger  the  si- 
lage. It  is  a  good  idea  to  keep  the 
silage  slightly  higher  in  the  middle 
in  filling,  because  the  wall,  be  it 
ever  so  smooth,  will  have  a  tendency 
to  retard  the  settling.  An  experienced  silo  man  told  us  recently 
that  he  got  excellent  results  from  having  his  silage  tramped  a  lit- 
tle around  the  edge  each  day  for  five  or  six  days  after  it  had  been 
put  in  the  silo.  This,  you  see,  overcomes  wall  friction  and  insures 
solid  packing. 

How  TO  FEED  SILAGE.  Silage  may  be  fed  just  as  soon  as  the 
silo  is  filled.  It  is  not  necessary  to  wait  a  few  days  for  the  "cur- 
ing process"  to  set  in;  and  in  our  Monolithic  Concrete  Silo  it  may 
be  fed  at  any  time  after  storing  that  you  may  wish.  The  average 
dairy  cow  will  eat  about  40  pounds  a  day.  The  silage  should  be  kept 


Polk  System  Silo  on  George  Fox  farm, 
Sycamore,  Illinois.     Size,  16x40  feet. 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to   piece*.  " 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  31 

at  a  level  in  the  bin.  This  does  not  leave  any  part  exposed  to  the  air 
long  enough  to  render  it  unsuitable  for  feed.  The  practice  of  dig- 
ging into  ensilage  and  allowing  it  to  remain  exposed  to  the  air  for 
a  day  is  bad  practice.  It  deteriorates  more  rapidly  from  much  ex- 
posure when  the  weather  is  warm.  From  one  and  one-half  to  two 
inches  should  be  fed  each  day.  Silage  should  not  be  fed  in 
the  room  where  the  milking  is  done,  nor  should  it  be  fed 
just  before  milking  time.  No  more  should  be  given  than  the 
cattle  will  eat  up  clean,  because  what  is  left  around  carelessly  will 
fill  the  air  with  acid  odor  that  is  readily  taken  up  by  milk.  The 
complaint,  that  milk  will  smell  if  silage  is  fed,  is  due  entirely  to 
careless  and  unsanitary  handling,  and  never  to  an  intrinsic  fault  of 
ensilage. 


''They  are  not  built  of  piece*,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  ' ' 


il 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  33 


Our  System 


IN  the  development  of  our  machine  we  have  kept  two  things  in 
mind — ease  of  ^Deration  and  the  erection  of  an  absolutely  flaw- 
less structure.  Neither  pains  nor  expense  has  been  spared  to 
produce  a  machine  that  will  enable  you  to  put  up  as  good  a  silo  as 
our  best  workmen  can  erect.  Our  machine  automatically  keeps 
the  walls  plumb,  it  does  away  with  an  elaborate,  complicated, 
risky  system  of  scaffolding,  it  imposes  no  strain  upon  the  section 
of  wall  already  built,  and  it  so  unifies  and  simplifies  the  work 
that  any  intelligent  man,  after  seeing  one  silo  constructed,  can 
easily  erect  the  best  silo  on  earth. 

As  usual,  the  thing  that  makes  all  this  possible  is  a  very  simple 
thing  after  all.  So  simple  indeed  is  it,  that  you  will  wonder  why 
other  builders  of  concrete  waste  time,  money  and  labor  on  costly 
dangerous  scaffolding.  The  great  unifying,  simplifying  principle 
in  our  machine  is  the  use  of  a  centermast.  This  centermast  is 
erected  in  the  center  of  the  silo  floor  and  is  guyed  to  a  perpendi- 
cular at  the  top  by  means  of  wires  and  turn  buckles.  It  is  a  four 
inch  pipe,  provided  with  a  series  of  transverse  openings  adapted 
to  receive  a  key  which  supports  a  widely  flanged  collar,  the  latter 
serving  to  support  jacks  by  which  the  forms  are  lifted.  Resting 
upon  the  jacks  is  a  hub,  consisting  of  a  flanged  base  collar  and  a 
top  dished  collar  connected  by  a  central  pipe  of  sufficient  bore  to 
work  easily  over  the  centermast.  On  the  base  collar  of  the  hub 
radiate  T  irons  which  are  supported  from  the  upper  collar  by 
tension  bars.  The  T  irons  are  rigidly  clamped  to  the  top  edge  of 
the  inner  and  outer  forms,  which  are  made  of  sheet  metal.  Each 
form  is  composed  of  separable  sections  which  have  angle  iron 
edges.  The  separable  sections  are  connected  by  threaded  studs 
which  pass  through  alining  apertures  formed  in  the  opposite 
angle  irons.  The  outer  forms  are  bolted  together  and  the  inner 
forms  carry  a  wedge  between  each  segment,  the  lifting  of  which 
will  allow  the  forms  to  swing  free. 

They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*. ' ' 


34 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


Detachably  connected  to  the  outer  forms  is  a  series  of  stanch- 
ions provided  with  an  inwardly  directed  overhanging-  arm  which 
has  an  aperture  for  receiving  and  retaining  verticle  reinforcing 
rods.  These  rods,  as  the  building  of  the  wall  proceeds  are  twined 
about  transversely  by  horizontal  reinforcing. 


Polk  System  machine  with  two  sections  of  forms  removed  showing  interior, 
by  patents  in  United  States  and  Canada. 


Fully  covered 


Both  inner  and  outer  scaffoldings  is  swung  from  the  radiating 
T  irons,  as  can  be  seen  in  the  illustrations. 

For  filling  in  between  the  forms  a  V  shaped  dumping  bucket  is 
provided.  It  is  pivo tally  supported  by  a  crane  above  the  hub  so 
that  it  can  readily  be  swung  to  any  part  of  the  wall  space.  The 
bucket  is  hoisted  by  means  of  a  rope  and  series  of  pulleys  so 
arranged  that  the  hoisting  force  is  applied  horizontally  from  with- 
out the  structure.  A  small  opening  is  cut  in  wall  at  the  bottom  of 
the  first  setting  of  concrete  through  which  the  hoisting  rope  works. 
When  the  bucket  is  hoisted  it  is  coupled  to  a  carrier  on  the  crane 
by  the  means  of  a  hinged  hook. 

"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. ' ' 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  35 


The  operation  of  the  machine  is  simple.  The  forms  are  set,  the 
reinforcing  bars  arranged,  the  concrete  is  mixed,  hoisted,  dumped 
packed  between  the  forms,  and  allowed  to  set.  On  the  next  morn- 
ing the  nuts  connecting  the  separable  sections  of  the  forms  are 
loosened  and  the  forms  swing  free  from  the  wall.  Then  by  means 
of  the  jacks  the  whole  mechanism  is  lifted  until  in  a  position  for  a 
new  ''fill"  when  the  forms  are  again  tightened.  The  raising  of 
the  forms  for  a  set  of  3  feet,  10  inches  does  not  require  more  than 
ten  minutes  work.  It  takes  three  men  only  fourteen  days 
to  build  a  16  x40  silo,  everything  complete.  This  includes 
excavating,  erecting,  taking  down  and  cleaning  machine. 


'Th»y  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces.  " 


36  THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


The  Polk  Silo  Doors 

THUS  far  in  our  discussion  of  silo  construction,  no  mention  has 
been  made  of  doors,  openings  for  which  must  be  left  in  the 
walls.     The  cut  below  is  an  outside  view  of  our  door  closed  and 
sealed. 

The  openings  which  receive  the  doors  are  20x30  inches.      They 
are  usually  spaced  30  inches  apart  but  the  number  and  location  of 


Polk  System  Silo  Door 

doors  are  optional  with  the  builders.  We  have  chosen  the  oval 
shape  in  order  to  avoid  sharp  angles  which  invariably  cause  air 
cracks  both  in  the  jamb  and  in  closing  the  doors  when  filling. 
We  use  a  sheet  steel  door  form,  set  between  the  shells  of  the  ma- 
chine as  the  work  progresses.  This  form  molds  a  concrete  jamb 
one  inch  wide  and  one-half  inch  in  depth  from  the  inner  surface 

"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  pieces. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  37 


of  the  wall.  Owing  to  the  shape  and  draft  of  this  form  the  jamb 
is  left  in  perfect  condition  for  sealing-  the  door  when  the  form  is 
removed.  Immediately  after  the  machine  has  passed  the  opening 
the  form  is  removed,  leaving  the  opening  in  perfect  shape. 

The  door  itself  is  made  of  heavily  galvanized  No.  12  gage  sheet 
steel  cut  to  fit  snugly  in  the  concrete  jamb  made  by  the  form,  flush 
with  the  inner  wall  and  bent  to  the  radius  of  the  silo.  On  the  out- 
side of  the  door  are  fastened  four  malleable  clips  in  which  hook 
bolts  engage  and  make  a  flexible  fastening.  Across  the  opening 
on  the  outside  of  the  silo  wooden  bars  are  placed,  through  which 
these  bolts  pass.  The  desired  stress  is  obtained  by  malleable  tail 
nuts.  This  combination  gives  you  a  LIGHT,  DURABLE  DOOR  that  is 
air-tight. 

In  sealing  the  door,  a  thin  gasket  of  moist  clay  is  smeared  around 
the  inner  surface  of  the  jamb;  the  door  is  then  set  in  place  and 
drawn  tight  by  turning  the  tail  nuts  by  hand.  When  the  silage  is 
fed  down  past  the  doors,  they  are  replaced  in  the  openings  and  it 
is  necessary  when  refilling  the  silo  only  to  smear  the  mud  gasket 
back  of  the  door  and  draw  it  tight.  It  is  then  always  in  the  place 
in  which  it  is  going  to  be  used. 

Can  you  conceive  of  a  simplier  operation  that  will  solve  the  silo 
door  problem?  The  door  is  closed  quickly,  easily,  lightly  and  se- 
carely  year  in  and  year  out  without  any  trouble  and  expenses 
other  than  that  bit  of  clay.  It  fits  as  well  and  tight  on  the  10th 
or  20th  year  as  it  does  on  the  first.  It  is  the  IDEAL  DOOR  for  the 

IDEAL  SILO. 


"They  are  not  buitt  of  piece*  and  they 


38 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


Capacity  of  Round  Silos  in  Tons 


Height 
in 
Feet 

Inside  Diameter  of  Silo  in  Feet 

10  Feet 

12  Feet 

14  Feet 

16  Feet 

18  Feet 

20  Feet 

20 

25 

3? 

50  . 

67 

83 

102 

21 

28 

41 

54 

71       89 

109 

22 

30 

43 

58      76       96 

118 

23 

31 

47 

62      80      103 

126 

24 

34       49 

67      85      110 

134 

25 

36       52       71      91      116 

143 

26 

39 

56       75      97      123 

159, 

27 

40 

58 

79      102      130 

160 

28 

43 

61 

83      103      137 

169 

29 

45 

64 

.   87  . 

114      144 

178 

30  ' 

47 

67 

91      119      151 

187 

31 

49 

70 

96      124      158 

196 

32 

51 

74 

100      131      163 

205 

33 

54 

77 

105      136      174 

215 

34 

56 

80      109      143      181 

224 

35 

58 

84      11.4      149      189 

234 

36 

61 

87      118      155      195 

243 

37 

63 

91 

123      161 

204 

259. 

38 

65 

94 

128      157   i   212 

262 

39 

68 

97 

133 

173      220 

272 

40 

70 

101 

138      180 

229 

231 

41 

72 

105 

143 

187 

233 

291 

42 

74 

109 

148      193 

243 

300 

43 

77 

113 

154      9.J] 

252 

310 

44 

79 

1  17 

159 

2J7 

231 

320 

45 

82 

121 

165 

215      239 

330 

46 

85 

126 

170 

223      2tt 

340 

47 

88 

131 

176 

229 

235 

350 

48 

91 

136 

182 

236 

293 

361 

49 

94 

142 

183 

243 

301 

371 

50 

98 

148- 

195 

250 

311 

382 

"They  are  not  built  of  piece* ,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  ' ' 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  39 


FACTS—  NOT  FANCIES 


wood  silo  is  a  good  thing;  so 
is  a  board  walk  —  while  it  lasts. 
^|The  practical  silo  is  the  high  silo; 
better    ensilage,  more  capacity, 
cheaper  per  ton  capacity. 
<IThe  Polk    System    concrete    silo 
can  be  built  as  easily  high  as  low. 
We  are  bulding  sixty  feet  high,  and 
predict  even  higher  silo  building. 
tJThe  Polk  System  monolithic  silo 
lasts    so    much    longer   that    it    is 
cheaper  than  a  wood  silo  would  be 
as  a  gift. 


"They    are  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cnnnot  go  to    pieces*" 


Testimonials 


In  compiling  this  booklet  our  object  has  been,  not  the  produc- 
tion of  a  literary  selection,  but  a  thorough,  concise  and  honest 
exposition  of  the  monolithic  silo  and  our  system  of  building  it. 
Our  aim  has  been  plain  straight  forward  facts,  which  we  take 
pleasure  in  endorsing.  We  know,  of  course,  just  what  the  Polk 
System  is,  and  what  it  will  do,  and  we  back  all  our  statements 
concerning  it,  with  all  the  facts  and  figures  that  the  reputation 
and  reliability  of  our  company  guarantee.  Of  course  we  may  be 
prejudiced  so  we  wish  to  conclude  our  booklet  with  the  opinions  of 
just  a  few  of  our  well  pleased  customers,  whose  reliability  we  gladly 
vouch  for.  Lack  of  space  precludes  the  possibility  of  a  long  list, 
so  we  have  chosen  a  few  representative  endorsements  that  sub- 
stantiate our  position. 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


41 


610.  A.  FOX 


1  ^i  & 


bet  f«4   for   all 

llv.rtock. 


A    Concrrt*   BUo    wlU 
EndUga  perfectly. 


WlU  Hot 

BUHN, 

BLOW  DOWM, 
OB  £?T 


NO  ADJUSTING 
HOOPS. 

Cb«.p«t  Of  AU 
la  The  End. 


OZT  OVB  FBICES. 


€mtorete 


.  BUILDERS  OF 

RE-IN  FORCED  CONCRETE  SILOS 


421  DlKALB  Avi. 
SYCA 


,  12/7A1 
Polk,  Genung,  Polk  Co. , 

Fort  Branch,  Ind. 
Gentlemen: 

Replying,  to  your  favor  of  Dec*   4th.  we  beg 
to  advise  that   the  Polk  System  Silo  Machine  which 
we  bought  of  your  company  has  given  us  splendid  satis- 
faction.    We  built  ten  silos  with  It  this  season  and 
they  are  a  fine  lot,  not  one  of  them  showing  any 
defects  whatever,  and  every  one  of  our  customers  are 
well  pleased  with  our  work.     The  machine  is  substan- 
tial and  apparently  as  good  AS  new. 

Further  beg  to  advise  the  silos  you  put  up 
a  year  ago  as  well  as  the  one  you  put  up  two  years 
ago  in  this  vicinity  are  giving  fine  satisfaction  and 
are  keeping  ensilage  as  well,   if  not  better  than  any 
of  the  other  silos  in  this  vicinity. 

We  know  Uenolithic  Concrete  Silos  are  all 
right  and  are  more  than  pleased  with  our  Polk  System 
Machine. 

Respectfully, 
FOX-TIBBITS  COMCRifiTE  SILO  CO. 


"They  are  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  " 


42  THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


Genoa,  Illinois* 

October  12th.  1911 
Polk,  Genung,  Polk  Co., 
Port  Branch,   Ind., 
Q^entlemen:- 

The  cement  silo  you  built  for  me  last  year  we 
filled  during  the  month  of  Sept.  1910. 

On  December  1st.  we  commenced  feeding  forty  head 
of  steers  after  removing  the  cover  from  the  silage  which 
consisted  of  cut  straw  with  a  bushel  of  oats  scattered  over 
the  top.   The  oats  sprouted  and  grew  to  form  a  sod. 

After  removing  the  straw  we  found  only  about 
two  incheo  of  silage  spoiled.    All  the  rest  of  the  whole 
surface  was  in  perfect  condition  and  cattle  ate  it  with 
great  relish.    We  continued  to  feed  silage  with  a  ration 
of  corn  and  cotton  seed  meal  until  May. 

I  will  say  that  we  never  secured  as  rapid  and 
cheap  gains  on  dry  feed.    We  thought  so  well  of  the  cement 
silo  that  we  engaged  your  local  Agents  here  Messrs.  Pox  & 
Tibbits  to  build  us  another  this  season  of  the  same  dimen- 
sions 16*  x  40'. 

You  can  rest  assured  that  the  CEMENT  ,SILO  is  all 
you  claim  for  it. 

Yours  respectfully, 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 


THE      POLK      SYSTEM  43 


W.  H.  WARFORD 

TELEPHONE                                               CONTRACTOR  ""c'EK'  ° 

GENEVA  GRAIN  STORAGE. 

,201                                               Usin*  The  Polk  System  Of  STAN  DOPE'S  GS^O. 

HE-ENFORCED  CONCRETE  CONSTRUCTION  ANDJBSTANOUUA! 

ALSO  ALL  KINDS  OF  GENERAL  CEMENT  WORK 


Geneva,  Illinois       Nov.  29.   1911. 

Polk ,Geriug, Polk  Co., 
Port  Branch, Ind. 
Dear  Slrs:- 

Replying  to  your  letter  of  28th«  inst.  relative  to  the 
Buocese  and  operating  expenses  of  your  system,  I  an  glad  to  state 
that  I  have  been  successful  far  beyond  expectations,  my  machines 
having  been  busy  from  the  start  until  too  cold  to  do  more  work. 

My  expenses  for  a  year's  work  has  not  been  a  cent  on 
the  machine  proper  except  for  a  few  cheap  bolts  to  replace  those 
worn  out  and  it  is  in  first  class  condition,  ready  to  do  another 
year's  work. 

After  having  had  a  years  experience  with  your  system  I 
would  not  trade  for  anything  I  have  seen  yet. 

Yours  truly 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  ' ' 


44  THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


CHAUNCKY  W.  BROUOHTOI* 

OARCTON    ILL.,  P.O.  MoOiRH,  It,t. 


January  10,  1910. 

Polk,  Genung,  Polk  Co., 

Fort  Branch,  Indiana. 
Dear  Sirs: 

1H  regard  to  the  cement  silo  that  you  built  for  me  will  say 
that  I  am  well  satisfied  with  it  and  think  it  is  all  right  in  every 
respect,  hut  I  have  not  as  yet  opened  it  so  I  cannot  say  as  to  the 
condition  of  the  ensilage.   Just  as  soon  as  I  open  the  silo  I  will 
write  you.  again  but  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  but  that  it  is 
all.  right. 

Yours  very  truly, 


"Th*y  arm  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  go  to  oiecm*.  ' ' 


THE      POLK      SYST£M,. 


Seward,  111.  f  Dec.   5,  1911. 

Polk,  Genung,  Polk  Co., 

Ft.  Branch,  Ind. 
Gentlemen: 

Have  had  a  very  successful  year  with  yv>ur 
silo  machine.     Built  six  without  any  expense  as  to 
repairs,   and  don't  look  as  if  there  was  much  wear  on 
the  machine. 

*t  Everyone  that  I  built  for  was  well  pleased 
and   thought   it  was  a  great  labor  saver. 

Yours  truly, 


"They    arm  not  built  of  piece*  and  they 
cannot  go  to    piece*." 


POLK      SYSTEM 


STATE  OF  ILLINOIS. 


7  NORTH   LAKE   STREET 
AURORA,  ILLINOIS 


J  P  MASON  PRESIDENT 

t  to  >N 
A  N  ABBOTT   VICE  PBES.OENT 

MORR.SON 
FRANK  H  HAIL. SUPERINTENDENT 

H  A  MCKEENE  SECRETARY 


F  I  MANN. AUDITOR 


January  2,  1910. 

TO  WHOM  IT  MAY  COHCERJJ: 

In  the  spring  of  1909,  the  Polk,  Genung,  Polk  Co.  of 
Port  Branch,  Indiana,  built  for  me  a  reinforced  concrete  silo, 
1£  ft.  by  40  ft. 

The  structure  seems  to  be  perfect  in  every  respect,  and 
the  men  who  built  it,  so  far  as  I  can  Judge  from  my  dealings  with 
them,  are  courteous,  competent,  reliable  business  men.  They  know 
their  business  and  promptly  do  as  they  agree. 


They  are  not  built  of  piece*,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*. 


THE       POLK      SYSTEM 


LKWIS  McNUTT 

-*-, 

•  MWBR     HII'K 


j^jjfg^^ 


IXI>KPK.XI>*NTWO.  B 

u«9uirrti  WALNUT  rr.  BRAZIL.  IN l>..   August    10,     1909. 

Messrs.  Polk,  Genung,  Polk  Co., 

Fort  Branch,  Indiana. 
Gentlemen: 

Let  me  commend  you  for  the  workmanship  and  the  square 
dealing  on  the  silo  that  you  built  for  me,  14/40  ft.   it  ex- 
ceeded my  expectations.   I  could  not  realize  that  a  silo  that 
tall  could  be  built  perfectly  'Straight  both  in  the  radius  and 
the  perpendicular,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  ie  re- enforced  I 
think  it  is  impossible  for  it  to  ever  give  way  in  any  particular, 

I  do- not  know  when  I  have  had  anything  done  that  gave 
me  as  little  anxiety  and  trouble  as  this  job  did.   Everything, 
went  along  smoothly;  the  contract  was  carried  out  to  the  letter 
and  settlement  made  without  the  least  hitch.   I  do  not  believe 
I  could  consent  to  have  it  removed  for  considerable  more  than 
±t  cost  me. 

I  also  want  to  speak  a  word  for  the  gentlemen  that 
did  the  work,  for  they  were  everything  that  the  word  gentleman 
means. 

With  kindest  regards,  I  am, 

respectfully, 


"They  are  not  built  of  pieces  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  " 


48  THE      POLK      SYSTEM 


R 


e  m  e  m  b  e  r 


1  That  the  Polk  System  mono- 
lithic silo  lasts  forever. 

2  That    "they  are    not    built   of 
pieces     and     they    can    not    go  to 
pieces/' 

3  That  there  are    no    bands  or 
any    wires    to     adjust     and    re-ad- 
just. 

4  That  they  are  rat  proof. 

5  That     they     are     "insurance 
agent  proof." 

6  That  the  wind   has  never  yet 
blown  strong   enough  to  blow  one 
down. 

7  That  high  silos  are  the  prac- 
ticable   silos    and    easy,  high    con- 
struction is  the  Polk  System's  "long 
suit." 


"They  are  not  built  of  piece*,  and  they 
cannot  go  to  piece*.  ' ' 


272656 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


